


Love/Skate

by MCsAngel2



Category: Christopher Dean - Fandom, Dancing on Ice - Fandom, Figure Skating RPF, Jayne Torvill - Fandom, Torvill & Dean
Genre: F/M, RPF
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-09
Updated: 2020-07-05
Packaged: 2021-02-28 01:42:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,890
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22636135
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MCsAngel2/pseuds/MCsAngel2
Summary: A Torvill and Dean fanfic based on their lives and work. Some incidents are real but fictionalized; other incidents are entirely invented. In some cases, the timeline of real events has been altered to fit the story. Inspired by a popular format of many T & D fics.
Relationships: Jayne Torvill/Christopher Dean
Kudos: 7





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: This is an RPF which makes obvious references to real people, events and situations. However, all references are made in a fictional context, are not intended to be libelous or defamatory, and any interpretation of real events is entirely imagined.

_1969_

_Nottingham_

Chris’ hands trembled with adrenaline as he tied the laces on his new Christmas skates. He didn’t even care that they were white; a gift of any new sporting equipment was a reason to celebrate. He was so excited, he’d worn the skates around the house, crashing into things, hoping to get a head start on learning how to balance in them. He’d been in agonies of impatience to try them out, but he’d had to wait the two weeks until the holidays were over for his parents to find time to bring him into Nottingham to go to the ice rink.

He looked up to see if he could spot them; there they were - his Dad and Tee were watching, waiting for him to get on. He scrambled off the bench and through the barrier door, and immediately fell to his hands and knees.

“Oi, watch where ye’re going!” shouted an older boy who narrowly missed falling over him. Chris ignored him as he lumbered to his feet again, flinging himself into the chaos that was a hundred youngsters enjoying their Saturday morning.

Again and again he fell, and his parents stopped counting after the tenth time. They wondered to each other why he didn’t go round holding on to the barrier like most beginners, but Chris just continued trying to find his balance on his own.

He turned a corner with arms flailing, skidding into a young, dark-haired girl who was having a lesson with a teacher. The girl stumbled, and the teacher caught her arms.

“Careful! Mind the other skaters, young man!” she admonished. “You all right, dear?” she asked the girl, who nodded in response.

Chris ducked his head, face flaming in embarrassment, and skated away as fast as he could. He wondered how long it would be before he could fly around the ice as fast as he wanted.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: This is an RPF which makes obvious references to real people, events and situations. However, all references are made in a fictional context, are not intended to be libellous or defamatory, and any interpretation of real events is entirely imagined.

_1972_

_Nottingham_

Jayne was so absorbed in tying her skate laces, that she didn’t notice someone had come to sit next to her until the thump of the bench broke her concentration. She brushed the bangs out of her eyes as she looked sidelong to see her bubbly blonde friend.

“Hi, Jayne! How were the Europeans? Gosh, I can’t believe you got to go, how exciting. Tell me everything!” She bounced her feet in her skates as she talked.

“Hi Sandra...we finished dead last, unfortunately.” Jayne scrunched up her nose in displeasure and returned to her laces.

“Oh!” Sandra seemed embarrassed. “Oh, I’m so sorry! Well...did you have any fun while you were there, at least? Did you get to see any of Gothenburg?” she asked, apologetically.

“No, we stayed up most nights to watch the other skating sessions. I got an awful telling off from the skater I was sharing a room with, for coming in so late!” Jayne said, mortified.

“But it must have been loads of fun seeing the other skaters! Just think, next year you’ll be an old hand at it.” She smiled.

_If we get to go next year,_ Jayne thought dubiously.

“Listen, there’s a gang of us going to get together Saturday, after the session. Can you come?” As she was speaking, one of the male coaches skated over to the barrier near where they were sitting.

“Sandra, you’re late. We’re waiting for you,” he said crossly.

“Alright, Mr. Sayward, I’m coming now.” She rolled her eyes and he gave her a warning look before skating back to the other end where her new partner was waiting. Jayne’s eyes followed him and rested on the partner for a moment until Sandra’s voice penetrated her thoughts.

“Well, can you?” she insisted.

“Can I what?” she turned back to her.

“Come out with us Saturday!”

“Oh! I can’t, sorry. My family's moving this weekend, and I’ll have to help.” Jayne shrugged.

“Sandra!!” Len Sayward’s voice boomed across the ice.

“All right, then!” She shouted in their direction as she stood up. “See you later, Jayne.” She plodded over to the barrier and stepped onto the ice, whizzing over to her coach and partner.

Jayne watched them for a moment, the sounds of their bickering carrying over to where she sat. She looked at Sandra’s partner again. Chris, she knew his name was. Sandra thought he was a pretty good dancer, but they argued constantly, it seemed like.

_What a waste of good practice time,_ she thought. _She’s pretty bold to fight with her partner so much, when it’s so hard to find boys to skate with. Especially one that’s so good-looking. He's like a prince._ She thought she’d never seen a boy with such light blond hair before. Then she lost her train of thought as she wondered if she’d ever have a boyfriend.

“Earth to Jayne!” She jumped a bit at the voice behind her. She turned to see her partner, Michael, laughing. “You were a million miles away! You all right?”

“Fine,” she mumbled as she felt the heat rise to her cheeks.

“Well, come on then. Let’s warm up before Thelma gets here.” He nodded his head towards the ice and waited for her to get on before following behind.

Jayne moved across the ice, speeding up, the air whistling around her ears. Thoughts of fair haired princes left her head, and she hoped Michael wouldn’t drop her today when they practiced their lifts.


	3. Chapter 3

_1975_

_Nottingham_

“How long is this going to go on, Chris?” Janet asked, as they watched Sandra storm off the ice, abandoning their practice session. Again. “If I spent as much time coaching you as I did waiting for you to get over a row, you’d be world champions!”

“I’m really sorry, Janet.” Chris was terribly embarrassed by Sandra’s behavior, and by the thought that Janet clearly felt that he was just as responsible for wasting her time. She had a pile of British, European, and world championship medals; and he was keenly aware of the good fortune that had led her to accept this job in Nottingham after turning professional. But she’d only been here for a few weeks, and he didn’t know what he’d do if she decided there were better prospects elsewhere, since Len had already moved to Grimsby. Unfortunately, he didn’t feel he knew her well enough yet to tell her that, so he just looked silently down at the ice.

Janet sighed. Chris was proving to be a very dedicated ice dancer, but his reticence was going to be the death of her. “All right,” she stretched out her arms to take his hands. “Let’s do it together, then.”

*****

Jayne was queuing at the ice rink cafe, when the woman in front of her turned around and spoke.

“It’s Jayne, isn’t it?” Janet asked her, politely.

“Yes,” she replied in surprise.

“I’ve seen you skate. I’m Janet Sawbridge, by the way,” she introduced herself.

“Yes. Hello,” Jayne replied, shyly. _I know who you are. Everyone here knows who you are. You have a million medals and won bronze at the Europeans the same year Michael and I came in last place,_ she thought. _And you were Sandra and Chris’ coach before they split up._

“You train with Norma Bowmar, don’t you?” Janet inquired. “Why haven’t I seen your name on any of the competition results from last year?”

“Oh, I don’t skate pairs anymore. My partner moved to London two years ago. I’ve been on my own since then.”

“But you aren’t competing as a single skater, either?”

“No,” Jayne blushed. “I...I haven’t qualified for seniors. I haven’t passed my silver test. Yet,” she added hastily.

“But you are still training, and retesting?” she asked. Jayne nodded. Janet thought for a moment. “Have you ever done ice dancing?” She reached the front of the queue and paid while talking.

“Well, I learned most of the dances years ago, but it’s been a long time since I’ve done them properly. I do attend the dance club on Thursday nights, though.”

“I see,” Janet replied, but she seemed somehow disappointed. She smiled again and said, “Well, it was lovely to meet you. I’m sure I’ll see you around.” She said goodbye and left.

Jayne echoed her goodbye while desperately wondering why Janet wanted to know her dance experience, and scarcely allowing herself to hope for what she had been thinking of the last few weeks.

*****

Chris struggled to stifle a yawn, though he wasn’t sure why. God knew he was used to six o’clock practices by now. He looked out of the corner of his eye at Jayne, standing apart from him, avoiding eye contact while they both waited for Janet to finish talking to Mick and join them on the ice. Neither of them had said a word to the other, yet.

_I don’t think she could be more different from Sandra if she tried,_ he thought. For some reason, the idea made him feel nervous. He yawned again, and thought maybe that was the reason why. He practiced edges on a small circle, to distract from the silence.

“Ready to start?” Janet asked when she finally joined them. They nodded at her, and she gestured for them to stand together. “Stand in hold, please.” They clasped hands, but still had several inches of space between them. Janet leaned forward and pushed them together, saying “Hip to hip, eye to eye, please. Look up, Jayne.” Janet cast an appraising eye over their form while Jayne looked Chris in the eye, and struggled to keep a calm expression.

_Stupid, it isn’t any different from skating with Michael, it’s only someone new. I just need to get used to skating with someone again,_ she scolded herself.

“Oh, hang on, I’m going to go put some music on,” Janet interrupted. “When it starts, I’d like you to switch to the Kilian hold, and just do basic stroking so I can see how you look together.” She skated off again, leaving Chris and Jayne as physically close to a member of the opposite sex either of them had ever been.

The silence was deafening as they waited, and seemed to stretch out interminably. While Chris had not been quite as embarrassed by their position as Jayne was, that was rapidly beginning to change as heat flooded the parts of his body she was pressed against. He was rather at a loss over what to do about it, since moving away from her would seem rude. He was just thinking what lovely eyes she had, and noticing how her perfume drifted around them, when the music began at last. Both were relieved to change to the front-facing Kilian hold, though Jayne was a bit flustered by having to put her hand on top of his, at her waist. She tripped over a bump in the ice, and bit her lip when Chris squeezed his grip and steadied her.

After two hours of back and forth, experimenting with different holds, and admonitions by Janet for Chris to bend his knees more, or for Jayne to lift her free leg higher, she called an end to the session and gathered with them by the barrier.

“Well? What do you think?” she asked them. They both shrugged indifferently. “Do you want to give it a try?” she asked again. Chris looked at his watch.

“I’ve got to go, or I’ll be late for work.” He looked at Jayne, then said, “Let’s give it a week, all right?” She quietly agreed, and he hurried away to change.

“Right, then,” Janet said to Jayne. “We’ll talk later about scheduling extra practice for you, so you can catch up and pass your silver test. For now, I’ll see you at tonight’s session. We’ll introduce Torvill and Dean to the Nottingham Ice Palace.”

*****

The two of them sat in Jayne’s room, listening to albums, and trying to choose music for a program. Janet had sent them home from a practice when they showed up empty-handed, at which point they realized they were now expected to operate on an entirely different level than they had with their previous coaches. So they’d gone down to the record shop and randomly chosen some to try out.

“This is going to eat up our spare funds awfully fast,” Chris remarked, as he disgustedly tossed aside another dud. “Jayne, are you sure we aren’t bothering your parents?”

“No, they’ll be downstairs in the shop for awhile yet,” she replied. They looked through their stacks for a few moments, when she interjected, “Janet is quite serious about our training, isn’t she? I don’t just mean the music. The practicing every day, even if we’ve only got a half hour, and all that. And she’s very intense about it.” Jayne looked sidelong at her partner, and thought he was also rather intense, and wondered if she would be able to get up to the mark and meet their expectations.

“Yes, she’s very different from Len.” Chris put down the album in his hand and looked at Jayne. “But...I also feel like the more she expects, the harder I want to work, somehow. I don’t think I understood, before, how much I might be capable of.” He stopped, a bit embarrassed at having said so much. “Anyway. Well, I don’t think we’re going to get very far with this lot,” he nodded his head at the records. “I reckon we’re going to have to start putting in overtime if we want to keep buying albums at this rate.”

“ _You_ can put in overtime. At least you like your job. I wouldn’t be an insurance clerk if I had any choice,” Jayne made a face.

“I guess we’ll just have to work hard enough to become successful skating stars, then. Assuming you like skating more than insurance!” he teased her.

“ _That_ is a brilliant idea!” she flashed a wide grin at him.

*****

Jayne fought to keep her eyes open as the group piled onto the bus back to Nottingham. Competitions made for a long day, and with their usual work and training schedule, she normally would have already been in bed at this hour. She and Chris brought up the rear getting on, and took the last seat in the back. He noticed her drooping eyelids, and put an arm around her shoulders.

“Here, put your head down. Don’t try to stay awake,” he coaxed her. She nodded gratefully and settled down, drifting off to sleep almost immediately. Chris listened for awhile to the chatter of the other skaters while he thought about their partnership. It was going well, they had placed second tonight behind Kathryn and Nicky, which was more than they could have expected after having been together such a short time. Jayne had worked without complaint to pass the tests that would allow her to compete as a senior.

_I never would have guessed, back when she was queen bee at the rink, I’d be skating with the British pairs champion. I wonder if someday I can help her win another title._

He looked down at her, the streetlights illuminating her face and shifting the shadows as they were passed.

_She never complains. She never teases me. She doesn’t think I’m odd to care about skating so much. She’s so nice to everyone, I really ought to watch out for her more, she’s too soft-hearted sometimes._

Her curls brushed against his neck as he stared at her, her eyelashes fanned across her cheeks, her lips open slightly. He slowly lowered his head, intending only to drop a feather-light kiss, until the bus rattled over a deep rut and Jayne jolted awake. After a moment of disorientation, she became aware of the intensity of his expression, and the nearness of his face to hers. She looked down at his lips, then up at his eyes, and he could see the want in hers as she looked back at him. He lowered his head again, and kissed her.

Every thought she had ever suppressed about Chris’ good looks, and the physical rush she often felt when he held her close, surged through her. He snaked an arm around her waist, and she drew her arm around his neck, feeling the warmth of his nape and lightly threading her fingers through his hair. He kissed her tenderly, over and over, moving his mouth slowly over hers. He probed her lips gently with his until she opened them for him, and made the quietest of moans when he deepened the kiss. She sank back against the seat and pulled him so that his weight rested on top of her.

He slowly trailed kisses across her cheek and down her neck, pausing to slightly pull her collar aside to nip her shoulder, before returning to her neck. He kissed her there, then opened his mouth and suckled her skin gently, increasing the pressure when she gasped and tightened her grip on him.

Though they both faintly recalled the presence of the others on the bus, and were aware of the need to be quiet, neither one no longer really cared. Jayne felt like she’d never see properly again, but all she could think of was the feeling of fire running through her veins, from anywhere Chris’s lips touched her skin.

Chris had no coherent thoughts at all, now exisiting in a world entirely made up of the scent of Jayne’s hair, and the softness of her skin. The growing warmth in his groin created a need to push closer to her than he was able to get.

Their embrace lasted until the bus pulled up to the Nottingham ice rink, there for all the skaters to make their own way home. No one said a word to them as they pulled apart, startled by the interruption.

“When can I see you again?” Chris asked Jayne quietly, her face flushed and her heart racing.

*****

Janet watched as they arrived for practice, as usual not saying much to each other, but noticing a change somehow in their body language. Jayne seemed to light up from within, and Chris could scarcely take his eyes off her. It had been this way for a good three weeks, and she was worried. Nothing had gone wrong with the skating, all practices had gone on and on time, but still, she worried. They were teenagers, after all.

At the end of the session, as they were heading off to go get changed, Janet called Chris over to her.

“Jayne, come see me before you leave,” she said as she led Chris to a bench. The two of them exchanged a puzzled glance, as Janet had never spoken to them separately before.

Jayne hurried to dress as quickly as she could, and wiped down and put her skates in their bag. She came back out to find Janet looking very earnest about something, and Chris staring down at the ground. They looked up as she approached, then Chris stood without a word and went to change.

“Have a seat,” Janet said kindly. She did, and Janet paused to gather her thoughts.

“Is something wrong?” Jayne asked, worried. “Have we done something?”

“No! No, everything has been going well, I’m very pleased with your work.” She stopped again.

“Then, what is it?” she asked, and Janet looked her in the eye.

“I want you to know, when all is said and done, that I think the two of you are old enough to decide for yourselves what you want to do. I think that, as early as it is, I believe you and Chris have a lot of potential. I am also totally committed to coaching you.”

“Thank you,” Jayne replied, feeling she needed to fill the silence.

“I really, _really_ want you to think hard about what it is you want out of skating. How far do you want to go? Because I honestly believe you could achieve whatever you want.” Jayne stared at her.

“I want to go as far as we can.”

“Do you mean that? Do you, really?”

“Yes. And Chris wants it even more than I do, I know he does.”

“Then, Jayne,” she continued cautiously, “it is extremely important that you think carefully about what is best for your partnership.”

“I don’t understand what you’re getting at, Janet.”

“You and Chris are dating now, aren’t you?” she asked, and Jayne turned bright red. “No, you haven’t done anything wrong,” Janet reassured her. “But how many skating teams have you known who’ve dated, and then broken up the partnership when the relationship didn’t work out? Or should I say, how many do you know of that stayed together when the dating came to an end?” Jayne had no reply. “You know I had three partners over the course of my career, don’t you?”

“Yes,” Jayne said quietly.

“I was lucky. It’s _so_ much easier to find boys to date than it is to find a boy that makes a good partner,” Janet said sincerely. ”And I think...should you both decide to put the skating first, you will probably find it easier to do that now, instead of enjoying yourself for a while and putting it off, especially as the season is about to get into full swing. Again, it’s up to the two of you. You won’t hear another word on the subject from me.”

_Date Chris, or skate with Chris. But not both._ Jayne tried to order her thoughts, and looked up to see Chris emerge from the men’s room.

They locked eyes for a moment, and an understanding without words passed between them. Then Chris turned and walked away.


	4. Chapter 4

_1976_

_Zurich_

Jayne and Chris staggered off the plane, only half awake, and walked with the rest of the passengers into the darkened airport. They filed silently through passport control, and then passed empty gates, a shuttered newsagent, and a deserted service desk before reaching baggage reclaim to wait for the rest of their luggage. Chris set down the bags they’d carried on containing their skates and music reels, which were too precious to have let out of their sight.

“Welcome to Switzerland,” Chris said wryly in response to an enormous yawn emitted by Jayne. “Midnight,” he said, after catching sight of a clock on the wall. He adjusted the time on his watch while Jayne leaned her head on his shoulder and attempted to see if she could sleep standing up. When the luggage trolleys arrived, he nudged her awake, and they retrieved their suitcases and began walking to customs.

“Have you got the phrasebook?” Chris asked as they approached the desk where the customs officer looked at them expectantly, and addressed them in a torrent of German. Jayne looked at him and froze, and shoved the book into Chris’ hands. 

“What? Jayne, you’re the one that’s been studying it for two weeks, not me.” But her face flamed with embarrassment and he realized she was overcome by shyness. Helplessly, he took the luggage and stepped up to the desk. 

“Erm...do you speak English?” he said timidly. The officer responded in German, and gestured impatiently to the suitcases. Chris looked at Jayne again, who was studying the floor, and eventually just turned back and put the luggage on the desk. The officer opened the first bag, revealing the music reels, and he raised an eyebrow, and asked Chris something. Chris, now thoroughly flustered himself, could only shake his head and shrug. Next, he opened the bag containing Jayne’s skates. “Er-,” Chris quickly looked through the dog-eared pages in the phrasebook. " _Eisschuhe_ ,” Chris offered, bungling the pronunciation. The officer just sighed.

After another five minutes of this, the customs officer finished; and either satisfied with the inspection or exasperated by the lack of communication, finally sent them on their way. They made their way back to a waiting area outside the gates, with long rows of high-backed benches. Jayne, still disconcerted, trailed behind Chris as he picked a spot in a far corner, and dropped his luggage.

“Pick a bench, and try to get some sleep. We’ve got six hours before the buses start running again, we’ve got to make sure we have enough time to get to the train station in the morning.”

“You don’t think we’ll get in trouble for sleeping here, do you?” Jayne worried as she bit her lip. She looked around to see if anyone was watching them. 

“Well, it can’t be helped, can it? We don’t have money for a hotel, even if there were a taxi out there to take us to one, which I doubt, at this hour.”

They lay down on a pair L-shaped benches that were arranged facing away from each other. Chris tried to fall asleep, but kept hearing Jayne tossing and turning. After a few minutes of silence, he was startled fully awake by the sound of her feet dropping heavily onto the ground.

“What’s the matter?” he asked groggily.

“I nearly fell off,” Jayne gasped. “I can’t sleep. I can’t relax here, I keep feeling like someone is going to creep up behind me, or steal my skate bag, or something.” There were tears in her voice, and Chris sat up to look at her. He could see she was completely exhausted. He looked around until he noticed a remote corner that was particularly dark.

“Come on, over here,” he prompted Jayne, as he picked up most of the suitcases and moved.

“What, on the floor?” she frowned.

“On the floor,” he affirmed, as he rearranged the luggage at their heads. “Look, you lie down here next to the wall, and I’ll lie beside you. No one can get to the luggage here. You’ll be safe.” He took a jumper out of a suitcase and made a pillow of it, offering it to Jayne. She looked at him for a moment, her expression unreadable, then lay down quietly.

“Wait, give me the phrasebook first,” he said. “We’ve got to be better prepared for the train tomorrow.” Jayne handed him the book, but he merely lay down next to her, and read it to himself.

“I’m sorry,” she apologized after a minute.

“For what?”

“For the book, and the customs inspector. I so hate having to talk to strangers, even if they do speak English.”

“I know you do,” Chris replied. “I don’t like it either.”

“Yeah, but you’re not as bad as I am. Once, I was on the bus, and an old man got on and stood next to me, on my foot. He didn’t notice when I tried to pull it away, so I just left it until he got off. It hurt for days.” Chris turned to look at her.

“Was that what happened, a few months ago? You came to practice, saying you’d hurt your foot bashing it into a wall.” Jayne just nodded. Chris gave a short laugh, then said, “Go to sleep. We’ll talk in the morning.”

“Good night, Chris,” Jayne said. She turned so that she was on her side, facing him, and put a hand on his arm.

She was asleep before he could reply. He tried to continue reading, but after a few minutes, he put the book down. He edged closer to her and turned his head so that he could smell her hair and feel her breath on his neck. He took her hand in his, and closed his eyes.

*****

_Oberstdorf_

“No, it’s inside-outside-inside, swing roll, then a _closed_ mohawk turn. Watch your edges,” Chis chided. “Let’s do it again.” Jayne patiently reset her position for the beginning of the sequence, and they restarted while Chris called out the steps. “Deeper, we’ve got to be really precise on the slow sec--” he stopped and began choking and coughing violently.

“Are you all right?” she asked with concern.

“I think I just swallowed a moth,” he gasped and looked up at the swarms of insects around the lights.

“I _told_ you to be careful about opening your mouth!” Jayne tried unsuccessfully to stifle a smile.

“Well one of us has got to give directions, since Janet’s not here to do it, is she?” Chris grimaced and cleared his throat.

Jayne’s reply was cut off by a loud rumbling noise coming from her stomach. She clasped her hands over her abdomen and looked at her watch. “Chris, it’s nearly six o’clock. I’m absolutely starving, and I’m going to faint if we don’t get something to eat soon.”

“Well...I guess it’s time to stop anyway. We don’t want to get an injury from overuse,” he conceded.

They left the ice and took off their skates. Jayne looked up at the view through the open-sided rink while she packed her skate bag. “Look, it’s stopped raining.” They walked out of the ice center and were hit by a wave of humidity. “Ugh, now I wish it hadn’t. It would be cooler if it were.”

“At least it isn’t as hot as it is at home,” Chris said. “Shall we walk back to the _Internat_ first, to leave our bags? We could look for a place to eat nearby.”

“No, most restaurants are in this part of town anyway. I can’t wait, I’m so hungry, I’m shaking.” 

“I’m only worried we won’t find anything we can afford. These will all cater to tourists.” But they walked on, crossing the river that separated the rink from the rest of the town. They wandered up and down the streets, passing by restaurants whose posted menus seemed to prove Chris right. They began to walk past a stall that looked like a souvenir stand, until Jayne took a second look.

“Wait. Look, Chris, I think…,” she walked up closer to look at the menu, and turned back to Chris. “It’s a chip shop! And it’s _cheap_!” With little alternative, it was agreed that this would be their supper. They ordered their fish and chips, and walked to a nearby bench to eat.

“My, my, traveling all the way to Germany just to get fish and chips on your birthday,” Jayne teased. “Aren’t you posh?”

“It’s been the best birthday I’ve ever had,” he said, in between bites of fish cakes.

“Really?” she sounded surprised. “It doesn’t seem like much of a celebration.”

Chris nodded. “It will be, if we do well on the night. There’s no place else I’d rather be right now,” concentrating on his food, so that he wouldn’t meet her eyes. _And no one else I’d rather be with,_ he added mentally.

Jayne ate silently for a minute, looking at him out of the corner of her eye. She generally tried to ignore those thoughts that lurked in the back of her mind, tried to avoid having time to think about him, or having the opportunity to look at him. As busy as they were with work, and with as much time as they spent training, she was usually successful. Most of the time.

“You know...I wanted to say thank you, for looking out for me. At the airport, and then handling the mess with the trains yesterday, and our luggage and everything. I’m a little embarrassed about it, actually,” she admitted.

“Why?” Chris turned and looked at her.

“Well, I’ve only ever traveled with a coach before, you see. They’ve always taken care of things, but I never thought about it. I always expected it. Now, with you...I realize we have to take care of ourselves. Except, while you’ve been taking care of me, I haven’t been doing a very good job of taking care of you.” She felt the heat in her face that she knew meant she was blushing, and she turned back to her food to try to hide it.

Chris felt ashamed. Between the pair of them, he never would have described Jayne as the demanding partner, the one who ever did anything to apologize for. He was quite aware that he could be very difficult, letting his temper and his tongue get the better of him. 

“I want to do better, Chris,” she explained. “I want to be a better partner.”

“Don’t. Don’t say that. You’re already a good partner. You’re perfect--” he stopped abruptly.

Jayne stared at him, not quite sure she’d heard him correctly, then decided she’d misinterpreted it. “I mean, off the ice. I want you to know you can rely on me.” 

“All right,” he replied humbly. “And I’ll try to be better on the ice, and not criticize so much when we’re practicing.” 

“You know I really don’t mind that. I know you only care about getting it right.” She laid her hand on his, on his thigh, and squeezed it for emphasis. “I feel the same way. It’s a deal, then?”

Chris’ mouth went dry, and he was unable to respond for a moment. He looked at their hands, then up at her face, and gulped. “Deal.”

Jayne leaned forward, and kissed him on the cheek. “Happy eighteenth,” she whispered in his ear.

He turned to her, so close, she could feel his breath. Neither spoke, and the moment when they might have moved apart came and went. His nearness sparked an adrenaline rush that sent her heat rushing through her veins, and the feeling was almost more than she could bear.

He slowly leaned towards her, and she closed her eyes. He kissed her gently, once, then opened his mouth on hers. He grasped the back of her head, and she moaned when he slipped his tongue into her mouth. He put his other arm around her and kissed her harder, but she jumped back, startled, when someone passed by near the bench. She buried her face in his neck, breathing hard, and put a hand on his cheek.

_Please don’t stop. Please don’t stop. Please,_ he silently begged.

“Can we go back to the _Internat_?” Jayne asked quietly. His heart sank, but he knew he couldn’t let her see that. “My roommate has compulsory figures tonight,” she continued. “She won’t be back until late.” 

Chris’ eyes lit up. He stood up and tossed their rubbish in a nearby bin. He held out his hand to Jayne, and said, “Let’s go.” 

They walked the distance back at a rapid clip, holding hands as they went, and exchanged little glances and smiles. Each felt excited, but nervous, and tried to hide it from the other. During the short time they had dated the year before, their time alone together outside of the rink consisted of quick kisses when arriving at or leaving practice; and they’d had one proper date at the cinema, where they’d sat in the back and spent the entire film necking. But they were keenly aware of how little privacy they’d had then, and exactly how much they had now. Neither one said much, until Chris stole a kiss waiting to cross the street at a corner. Jayne smiled at him, but at that moment, there was a rumble of thunder and rain began to fall. She shrieked, he laughed, and they ran the rest of the way back to the hostel.

She let them into her room, and searched for something to dry their hair with, while he dropped his bag and leaned against the door. While she fussed with a towel, he looked around the room, staring at the beds, wondering which one was hers. She finished, and held the towel out to him, then went and sat on the bed opposite the door.

She watched him rub his head with the towel, and then, not seeing a good place to hang it up, drape it over the doorknob. He turned around and looked at her, and her heart pounded in her chest. The three steps it took to join her on the bed seemed to take an eternity. He took her hand in both of his, and suddenly she felt too shy to speak.

He raised her hand to his lips, and kissed the palm, surprising her. Then he leaned forward, pressing his body against hers, and held the side of her neck with his hand while he brushed the other side lightly with his lips, making her whimper. She pulled him to her in an embrace, nerves forgotten, and kissed him back thoroughly. 

Chris began to lie back on the bed, with Jayne in his arms, when she pulled away. “Don’t, your shirt is soaked and you’ll get my sheets wet,” she warned. He looked down at himself, and then at her, and pulled his shirt over his head and threw it on the floor.

She blinked, her eyes riveted to Chris’ bare chest, only looking away when he moved to kiss her again. He lay down again, with Jayne lying on top of him. She broke away to kiss down his jawline and neck, lightly touching his chest and stomach, while he ran his hands up and down her back. He groaned, and rolled her over so she lay beneath him. 

“Your shirt is wet, too,” he panted. The thunder in the distance grew louder, and her eyes darkened as she looked at him, mirroring the dimming daylight in the room. Rain pounded on the roof above them, and she held his gaze wordlessly as she slowly removed her top. She threw it off, landing on Chris’, making a pile on the floor. 

He took in the sight of Jayne in her lacy bra, making her blush furiously. He lowered himself to rest on his arms and lay on top of her, plunging his tongue into her mouth. She threw her arms around his neck, and moved her legs apart to twine them around his tightly. The motion drove Chris to begin sinuating his body against hers, until he was grinding against her and they were writhing together on the bed.

He thrust a hand under her bum and squeezed while pushing his groin against her. She gasped, and he briefly increased the rhythm. He reached with his other hand to fondle a breast, and dipped his head to suck the nipple through the material. She moaned loudly, and he suddenly felt a familiar warmth spreading through his legs and the pit of his stomach. 

He stopped abruptly, still grasping her breast, and buried his face in her chest. It took Jayne a few moments to react, and when she did, she stroked his hair, and asked, “What’s wrong? Why did you stop?”

Chris looked up at her and said, “I didn’t want to stop, but I needed to. I was about to very much regret not stopping.” Her eyes widened. He rose on his elbows and moved up her body until his mouth was near her ear. “But that doesn’t mean that _you_ have to stop,” he whispered. He pressed a hand firmly between her legs and sucked hard on her neck, making her cry out.

_It’s *definitely* the best birthday I’ve ever had_ , he thought.

*****

_St. Gervais_

“Chris, they’re making me stay for the medal ceremony, but I promise I’ll get to the hospital as soon as I can, all right?” He groaned and she gripped his hand and gave it a squeeze before the paramedics loaded him onto the ambulance.

Jayne ran back to the ladies’ dressing room to retrieve her skate bag, then went to the men’s dressing room and knocked on the door. Someone opened the door for her, and she poked her head in and looked around.

“Warren!” Spying one of the other ice-dancers she knew, she came in, and started looking around for Chris’ gear. “Warren, I need to ask a favor... Could you take our bags back to the boarding house for me? I’ve got to go to the hospital as soon as the ceremony is over.” She flew around the room, stuffing his clothes into the bag, and looking to make sure she didn’t miss anything. “Chris is rooming with Robin, could you leave all these with him, and let him know what happened? Thank you.”

An official had come looking for Jayne, shouting animatedly in French. She knew she was being told to come out onto the ice, to receive their medals. She gestured to her street clothes and shoes, having dressed when she thought she’d be leaving with Chris, and asked whether it was all right. He didn’t reply and merely hustled her through the corridor. 

She smiled and waved as she stepped on the podium, seeing confused faces looking back at her, wondering at her clothes and her lack of partner. Their competitors filled out the spaces next to her, and when she shook hands with the other British skaters who’d placed third, they discreetly hissed, “What’s happened? Where’s Chris?” but she wasn’t able to explain before the medals were presented.

Jayne left the ice the moment she could, and pulled aside an official to ask for a taxi to take her to the hospital where Chris had gone. When she arrived at the emergency department, she tried three nurses before finding one who spoke English, who could take her to him.

She was brought to his bedside in a dimly-lit ward, but when she stood close enough, she could see he was asleep. She looked at the nurse, and asked with concern, “Is he all right?”

“ _Oui_ , he will be well. He was only given something to help him sleep. He is _très déshydraté_.” Jayne clearly did not understand this, so the nurse touched the bag of fluid hanging nearby which ran down a tube and into a needle inserted in his arm. “He will be well, tomorrow,” she said again, and then left.

Jayne arranged the screens to give as much privacy as possible, then pulled up a chair and sat, holding his hand in hers.

\-----

When Chris stirred and woke early the next morning, he was startled to realize that Jayne was sleeping slumped over his bed, her head resting on one arm, the other holding his hand. The image seemed oddly intimate, and he watched her for a few minutes, reluctant to wake her.

A loud clatter from one of the other occupants of the ward took the decision out of his hands, and Jayne jerked awake. She sat up straight, but immediately frowned and arched her back as she massaged her spine.

“Oh Lord, my back,” she moaned.

“How long were you sleeping like that?” Chris asked.

“All night - I came as soon as the ceremony was over. I told you I would, don’t you remember?” He shook his head, and she recounted the events of the evening following his departure. “And the nurse said you were dehydrated, but that you’ll be fine. Do you feel better?”

“I’m not sure...I suppose so. But maybe it’s only because there isn’t anything in my stomach. I’m not sure I should eat anything for awhile, since we’ve got the flight home today...” And then he sat back and did a double take. “Wait a minute - you asked someone you hardly know to take our bags back, you dealt with an official shouting at you, you arranged for a taxi, and sorted through hospital staff until you found one who spoke English?”

“Yes,” she nodded and smiled a bit.

“All on your own? What happened to my shy partner?” he asked in astonishment.

“I was so worried about you,” she admitted. “I didn’t have time to worry for myself. I just wanted to get here to be with you, as soon as I could. You weren’t there, so I had to do it.” She reached over for his hand again, and said, “I did say I wanted to take better care of you.”

Chris tugged at her hand until she was leaning close to his face, and he looked into her eyes for a moment before reaching to kiss her. “Thank you,” he said. She nodded and kissed his hand in hers.

“Maybe we ought to see about getting you discharged,” Jayne said. “You can get dressed while I look for a doctor?”

“Yes, that’s a good idea.” He looked around, and spied the navy catsuit he’d been wearing when he came in, folded up in a chair. “Have you got my regular clothes with you?”

Her eyes went round and the smile fell from her face. “Oh, Chris...I didn’t bring them. I put them in the bag I gave to Warren.”

“Jayne! Not really??” he said, exasperated. 

“I’m sorry!” Her eyes threatened to fill with tears.

Chris instantly regretted complaining, after everything she’d done for him. “Don’t cry, please. It’s all right. I guess I’ll just put the catsuit back on.” Inwardly, he was cringing at the looks he knew he would get, until he could change.

“I’m really sorry, honestly. All I could think of last night--why I wanted to be with you as quickly as possible--was this.” Jayne reached down and picked up her handbag from the floor, opened it, and drew out two boxes. She laid them on his lap, and opened one while he opened the other. Shining gold medals lay on beds of white satin. “Our first international win,” she said, quietly.

Chris looked at the medals and found he was too moved to speak. Instead, he drew Jayne into his arms and pulled her until she was lying next to him on the bed. He wrapped his arms around her and hugged her as tightly as he could.

*****

_Nottingham_

“Here, put your leg here, and your arm around me, like this,” Chris instructed Jayne as they skated through their new routine. “And then, I’ll lift you here-”

“No, it won’t work properly. I’ll fall into you coming down, you need to be facing forward,” Jayne argued. 

“Chris,” Janet skated forward to interrupt, “If you want to do it that way, you’ve got to have your left leg extended behind instead of at your side.” She looked at Jayne and said, “It ought to work if you’re moving fast enough.” The two began again without acknowledging her, skating circuits around the rink, alternately quarrelling and setting steps. Although she had taught them to take on their own music and choreography, she had never felt so unnecessary as she often had in the weeks since they had come back from the _Coupe des Alpes_ competitions. She had hoped that traveling on their own would make them more independent, but she hadn’t realized they would bond so closely that they’d lose interest in spending time with anyone but each other.

“No, it looks awkward, you can’t see,” Jayne complained. “I wish you’d think about ballet lessons, we could go through our routines in front of mirrors. Don’t you think, Janet?” she asked her as they skated over to the boards.

“Well, maybe,” Chris admitted reluctantly, “but that would cut into our skating time, and we don’t have enough of that as it is.”

“What if I can find a place that has lessons on Saturdays?” Jayne asked. “We already don’t have ice then, and we don’t need to spend every weekend on music and costumes.”

Janet noticed the public session attendees putting on their skates and called an end to the evening’s lesson. “I do think you’d both benefit from dance lessons together,” she said, cutting off their debate. “Do it, if you can find a place that suits. Right then, I’m off. We can go over that lift tomorrow night.”

“Oh, we’ve got the ice tomorrow morning, didn’t we tell you?” Chris said.

“Joanna’s gone to Manchester for a family emergency, so we’re taking her usual spot,” Jayne added.

“No, you didn’t…” Janet looked at both of them. “I’m sorry, I can’t make a lesson in the morning on such short notice.”

“Oh, it’s all right. My dad will give me a lift in,” Jayne started.

“-And we need all the practice we can get, before the British,” Chris finished. “Come on, let’s get off so they can resurface. See you tomorrow night, Janet,” he said, before walking off with Jayne, and leaving Janet shaking her head and wondering for the first time if she’d be able to keep up with her pupils.

Jayne and Chris finished their practice at the evening public session, working as best as they could amidst the crowd. They kept their behavior strictly professional, as they had decided to keep their off-ice relationship private. It had worked so far, with none of their skating friends nor Janet any the wiser. 

At the end of the night, they sat taking off their boots, when one of the boys walked up to Chris and greeted him.

“Hey, mate. Just wanted to let you know that David’s going to be up on Saturday night for his birthday. He wants to meet up with the crowd for a pint or two, he knows a local what’s usually got a dartboard free. You in?”

“Sorry, Paul, I’m busy. Tell David I’ll catch him next time around,” Chris commented, looking at his friend briefly before returning to his boots.

“Busy, eh?” Paul looked at Jayne, sat next to Chris, who was not paying attention to either of them. “What’s on, then?”

“Meeting a friend in Calvo,” he replied smoothly. Jayne stood up and put her skates in her bag. “Ready? See you tomorrow,” Chris said to Paul, standing and walking away.

Once they were in the empty lobby, Jayne giggled. “‘Meeting a friend in Calvo’? You know that’s the third time you’ve used that excuse to get out of something when we’ve got a date? Someone’s going to catch on pretty soon.”

Chris looked around, and seeing they were alone, took Jayne’s hand and pulled her aside into an unlocked custodial closet, making her squeal. Shutting the door quickly, he took her in his arms and kissed her.

“What should I have said, then? ‘Sorry, I’m going to be sat in the back of a cinema with Jayne, snogging her face off’? And you’re not much better. Getting rides from your parents ‘to go out with the girls’? Haven’t they asked why ‘the girls’ are never there to meet you?”

“Don’t worry about my parents. Besides, it won’t be too much longer before I’ll have enough saved to buy a car of my own. Then we can have all the privacy we want,” Jayne said, leading both of them to think about Oberstdorf.

“Good,” Chris replied. “Because I don’t really fancy the idea of taking you to some secluded spot on my moped, on my lap, in a freezing rain.”

“Well,” Jayne said, “we’ll always have this closet...” She pulled his face down to her to kiss him back.

*****

_British Championships - Nottingham_

Jayne and Chris stood with the rest of the skaters off the ice, watching the medal ceremony. Once it finished, there was a final ovation before the crowd began to disperse. They stayed where they were, waiting for their family and friends to find them.

“Well done, Buster!” Chris’s parents were the first to congratulate them, followed by some of their friends who gave them quick hugs and kisses. Amidst the commotion, the medalists came through the area. Nicky Slater accidentally bumped into Chris, who broke off the conversation he was having with a friend in order to talk to him.

“Congratulations, Nick. I know how hard you and Kathryn worked for that,” Chris said, nodding at the bronze medal around Nicky’s neck.

“Thanks, mate. I’m chuffed, but I’m not really sure we should have beaten you!” He grinned.

“Of course you deserve it, you won World Juniors last season,” Chris replied. “I bet you’ll do even better next year.”

“Yeah, maybe. I guess we’ll see,” Nicky said, enthusiasm slightly dimmed. “Well, I’m off, see you on the ice,” he waved in farewell, and gave Jayne a quick kiss on the cheek before departing.

Chris joined Jayne, who was talking to her parents along with Janet. He noticed that Jayne seemed a bit subdued, but chalked it up to exhaustion. He listened to the conversation for a few minutes before insisting they needed to change out of their costumes. He went to say goodbye to his parents, then pulled her away.

He walked down the corridor with his arm around her shoulders, and yawned. “Christ, I’m fit to drop where I stand. Thank God tomorrow’s an off day.” 

“Are you happy with how we did?” Jayne turned to him and asked abruptly.

Chris shrugged. “I’m not going to lie, I would have liked to have medaled, but it’s only our first Senior Championships, Jayne. The judges don’t know us yet. Give it time.”

“We were better than Nicky and Kathryn, you know,” she said glumly.

Chris stopped and looked at her. “Have we somehow swapped personalities?”

“Look, you may have a reputation of being tough on the ice, but I’m out there doing everything you are. I want to win as much as you do,” she insisted.

Chris thought for a moment, then asked, “Do you want to practice tomorrow after all?” Jayne nodded. “All right, then. Let’s change and go home.” He put his arm back around her, but didn’t dare to kiss her.

“Next year. Next year we’ll medal, and after that, they’ll all know who we are,” Jayne said firmly.


End file.
